The world was hazy.
Colors bled into one another, and sounds came as if through water—muffled, distant, unreal. Takeru stumbled along a path he didn't recognize, the fog curling around his ankles and hiding the ground beneath. He didn't know where he was, didn't know how he had gotten here… he couldn't even remember his last name. It was as if the very corners of his mind had been erased.
A figure appeared through the mist. It was vague, undefined, almost more shadow than person. The figure reached out, and Takeru felt something solid press into his hand.
Dark blue sunglasses.
"Take these," the voice said, soft, echoing strangely. "They'll… help."
Takeru blinked, confused. But something about the gesture felt important. Without thinking, he slid the sunglasses onto his face. The fog seemed to part a little. Shapes sharpened. The world became just a bit clearer, though still muted, still unreal.
And then… the figure was gone.
He was alone again.
Or so he thought.
A door opened nearby, warm light spilling out into the gray haze. Takeru hesitated, unsure. But a voice called, gentle but firm:
"Takeru. Come here. You don't need to be out there alone."
He turned. A man stood in the doorway, smiling kindly. There was something familiar in his face, though Takeru didn't know why.
"Who… are you?" he asked.
"My name is Wasuke Itadori," the man said. "I think it's time you had a place to belong. Come inside."
Takeru stared at the doorway, at the warmth spilling out, at the invitation that seemed almost too good to be true. Part of him wanted to run, to stay in the fog where no one could reach him. But another part—the part that had been aching for something he couldn't name—took a tentative step forward.
"Really… I can stay?" he whispered.
"Yes," Wasuke said simply, stepping aside. "You're part of this family now. That includes Yuji, too. You're not alone anymore."
Something inside Takeru shifted. The fog didn't lift completely—it never would—but there was a light now, a small glimmer he could follow. For the first time, he felt… like he belonged.
He slipped the sunglasses back on, dark lenses reflecting the warm light, and took the next step into a life that had been waiting for him all along.
And though he didn't know it yet, the shadows around him were not finished with him. They had a way of finding those who thought they were safe.